This week was a great one! We started our Zone
conferences in the Algarve and then traveled to Setubal and then to Amadora—it
was non-stop one thing after another. In these Zone conferences we've been focusing
a lot on the importance of teaching people not lessons. So to help develop this
skill we had the missionaries teach specific concepts in front of Elder Smith
and me. We are acting like some of our recent converts with their same questions
and problems. I’ve used Angelica’s story
and it's been such an amazing experience playing her part and seeing her side
of the conversion. I told her what I was doing and she told me, “At the end of
every practice you're going to have to tell them that Angelica is still really
strong in the church today and that she holds a temple recommend and that she
is going to the temple.” Man that makes me so happy! President Tavares really
teaches and inspires us. He talks about how we need to have the “Spirit”, that
the “Holy Spirit” is everything in the work of the Lord. I have seen such a
difference in my own work when I have the spirit and when I don't. We need to
keep this as a major focus and try to have the Spirit at all times and make
sure not to do anything that would keep the Spirit away from us.
We worked in our area and were able to baptize
Flavia, who is from Cape Verde and is 16 years old. Her mom and brother were baptized recently as
well. I had the pleasure to baptize her and it was really special! The
mechanics were a little difficult as I told her just to relax and lean back and
sit like in a chair and that I’d do the rest. But she had too much faith in me
and she just dropped. I caught her in time before she smacked the water but man,
it was messy. I was drenched but we laughed later.
We are also having great progress with Madeline
who is Portuguese and studying at the University. She finally told us that she
is ready to be baptized and that she knows that this is the true church of God.
But she is afraid that her family who is really Catholic will not approve of
her being baptized. Later she talked to her mom who said she couldn’t be
baptized. We are all sad but still
working and teaching and we're going to try to talk to her parents this week.
We had our meeting with President and Sister Tavares
Sunday night and it went really well. Then we all headed to the airport
together to go to the Azores for more Zone conferences. It was such an awesome
experience being in the airport waiting for a plane with President and Sister Tavares
and just being able to talk with them. We arrived at about 1:00 in the
morning. For p-day we went on a hike with President Tavares that was so fun! I realize how much I miss hiking and nature. I
love the Azores and am super excited to be here for the next 3 days. This is
going to be another great week and I’m ready to get going!
I love you all so much. I know the Church is
true and that we are doing the Lord's work.
--Elder Herrmann
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